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Duration
1 hour and 15 minutes
Serves
4
Chef’s notes
Crispy fried catfish, tender greens, and creamy grits—it doesn’t get any more Southern than this. I love this dish because the fish and sides taste so good together, as well as being relatively simple and inexpensive to prepare.
I use bacon in the collard greens instead of traditional ham hocks, because it’s an ingredient I normally keep around anyway. To balance out the bitterness of the greens, use vinegar and sugar.
Ingredients
- 4 catfish fillets
- Louisiana fish fry breading
- 1 pt. buttermilk
- Frying oil
- Hot sauce
- Lemon wedges
Collard Greens
- 2 large bunches collard greens
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ¼ tsp. white sugar, plus extra
- 1 tsp. white wine vinegar
- Salt
Cheesy Grits
- 1 cup quick grits
- 4 cups water
- Shredded cheddar cheese, to taste
- Salt
Also works with
Any flaky fish
Preparation
- Pull stems off collard greens and triple rinse leaves to remove dirt and grit. Roughly chop the leaves. Allow to drip dry in a colander.
- Trim off dark or red areas on catfish fillets. Place fish in a zip-top bag and submerge with buttermilk. Keep cold in the refrigerator.
- In a large, deep skillet or medium pot, add chopped onion and bacon and cook over medium to medium-low heat until translucent and rendered, stirring frequently. Then add garlic and pepper flakes and sauté for 30 seconds. Add chopped collard greens to the pot (and more oil if needed). If your pot or skillet isn’t big enough, add the greens in stages as they wilt, and increase heat if needed. Add chicken stock, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour until tender, stirring occasionally. Finally, stir in sugar and vinegar to help counter the bitterness of the greens—add more sugar if needed. Generously season with salt. Keep warm.
- To make grits, boil 4 cups of water in a saucepan. Gradually stir in grits and simmer until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Take off heat and stir in cheese until melted. Season to taste with salt. Keep warm. If needed, reheat on low with a splash of water to loosen grits.
- Heat frying oil to 350° to 375°F. Rinse the buttermilk off the catfish and coat it with the fish fry breading. When the oil reaches temperature, fry breaded fish until golden and crispy on both sides. Serve catfish immediately with collard greens, grits, hot sauce, and lemon wedges.
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Chef’s notes
Crispy fried catfish, tender greens, and creamy grits—it doesn’t get any more Southern than this. I love this dish because the fish and sides taste so good together, as well as being relatively simple and inexpensive to prepare.
I use bacon in the collard greens instead of traditional ham hocks, because it’s an ingredient I normally keep around anyway. To balance out the bitterness of the greens, use vinegar and sugar.
Ingredients
- 4 catfish fillets
- Louisiana fish fry breading
- 1 pt. buttermilk
- Frying oil
- Hot sauce
- Lemon wedges
Collard Greens
- 2 large bunches collard greens
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ¼ tsp. white sugar, plus extra
- 1 tsp. white wine vinegar
- Salt
Cheesy Grits
- 1 cup quick grits
- 4 cups water
- Shredded cheddar cheese, to taste
- Salt
Also works with
Any flaky fish
Preparation
- Pull stems off collard greens and triple rinse leaves to remove dirt and grit. Roughly chop the leaves. Allow to drip dry in a colander.
- Trim off dark or red areas on catfish fillets. Place fish in a zip-top bag and submerge with buttermilk. Keep cold in the refrigerator.
- In a large, deep skillet or medium pot, add chopped onion and bacon and cook over medium to medium-low heat until translucent and rendered, stirring frequently. Then add garlic and pepper flakes and sauté for 30 seconds. Add chopped collard greens to the pot (and more oil if needed). If your pot or skillet isn’t big enough, add the greens in stages as they wilt, and increase heat if needed. Add chicken stock, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour until tender, stirring occasionally. Finally, stir in sugar and vinegar to help counter the bitterness of the greens—add more sugar if needed. Generously season with salt. Keep warm.
- To make grits, boil 4 cups of water in a saucepan. Gradually stir in grits and simmer until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Take off heat and stir in cheese until melted. Season to taste with salt. Keep warm. If needed, reheat on low with a splash of water to loosen grits.
- Heat frying oil to 350° to 375°F. Rinse the buttermilk off the catfish and coat it with the fish fry breading. When the oil reaches temperature, fry breaded fish until golden and crispy on both sides. Serve catfish immediately with collard greens, grits, hot sauce, and lemon wedges.